import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import matplotlib.gridspec as gridspec

# method 1: subplot2grid
##########################
plt.figure()
ax1 = plt.subplot2grid((3, 3), (0, 0), colspan=3)  # stands for axes
ax1.plot([1, 2], [1, 2])
ax1.set_title('ax1_title')
ax2 = plt.subplot2grid((3, 3), (1, 0), colspan=2)
ax3 = plt.subplot2grid((3, 3), (1, 2), rowspan=2)
ax4 = plt.subplot2grid((3, 3), (2, 0))
ax4.scatter([1, 2], [2, 2])
ax4.set_xlabel('ax4_x')
ax4.set_ylabel('ax4_y')
ax5 = plt.subplot2grid((3, 3), (2, 1))

# method 2: gridspec
#########################
plt.figure()
gs = gridspec.GridSpec(3, 3)
# use index from 0
ax6 = plt.subplot(gs[0, :])
ax7 = plt.subplot(gs[1, :2])
ax8 = plt.subplot(gs[1:, 2])
ax9 = plt.subplot(gs[-1, 0])
ax10 = plt.subplot(gs[-1, -2])

# method 3: easy to define structure
####################################
f, ((ax11, ax12), (ax13, ax14)) = plt.subplots(2, 2, sharex=True, sharey=True)
ax11.scatter([1,2], [1,2])

plt.tight_layout()
plt.show()